ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will take on New Zealand in their T20 World Cup Super Eight stage clash in Colombo on Saturday, with both sides looking to strengthen their chances of reaching the knockouts.
The second phase of the T20 tournament kicks off without former champions Australia, who shockingly failed to make it out of their group. Instead, Zimbabwe, who did not even qualify in 2024, topped Group B after a stunning unbeaten campaign where they not only beat Australia but also co-hosts Sri Lanka.
Babar Azam was dropped for Pakistan’s final T20 World Cup group game against Namibia for scoring too slowly, head coach Mike Hesson said on Friday. Pakistan racked up 199-3 and secured a place in the Super Eights by 102 runs.
The match is scheduled to start at 6:30pm Pakistan time.
“New Zealand have played a huge amount in the subcontinent in recent times so we have to play at our best,” Hesson told reporters after Pakistan’s final practice session on Friday was washed out by rain.
